Here it is…the blog post you have all been waiting for!  I’ve taken time over the past few months to put 11 natural deodorants to the test and these came highly recommended via input from my lovely readers. I went through the list of recommendations and purchased 11 of the deodorants to try and report back on. I took time to observe the following: Application, how well the deodorant applies itself to the underarm area. Scent, the initial smell of the deodorant as soon as it is applied. Freshness, how the deodorant lasts throughout the day in regards to maintaining its scent. Wetness, did the underarms stay dry throughout the day/during physical activity and stationary time.  I tried each deodorant for about 4-6 days and recorded my thoughts on how it held up. I scored each item on a zero – 5 scale. Zero means I might as well have ignored applying deodorant all together and if the deodorant received a 5 you can guarantee it will be a consistent companion in my toiletry bag.

Some other great advice by some of my readers was that a “detox” would be helpful to balance Ph levels in my body/skin…thus…allowing me to smell a little  bit more “fresh” in a natural sense, even without deodorant. I attempted to eat healthier during the test of the deodorants but also gave myself a break when it came to indulging on some of my favorite foods. I consider myself someone who eats pretty darn good…so let’s just say this test was for the “average” woman…one who is healthy…but isn’t afraid to indulge on a burger and fries occasionally or jalapeno poppers dipped in ranch. Alright. The results are in! Enjoy, and I hope this helps you with any all-natural deodorant purchasing debacle!

Desert Essence: This was one of the first deodorants I tried and at first I really liked it. But once I started to try the others, it soon fell down the ladder of preference. This deodorant also went on a bit “wet”, which turned me away from it. The dry time wasn’t extremely quick…maybe around 20-30 seconds and there would sometimes be a white residue in my armpits. I would put it on and start doing my hair or applying my make up and wait for it to dry a bit before I put clothes on. I was always worried the white residue would rub off on my clothing, some mornings I am in a rush and so the possibility of getting it on my clothing worried me. The scent is great but would wear off in mid-afternoon. Nothing to write home about, but also nothing to complain about. I noticed that I always was looking to “apply more” in the afternoon.
Overall Score: 2.5
Buy it Here

Jason: I took this deodorant on my trip to Italy in April. I really liked it at first…but as I used it I realized it wasn’t a long lasting favorite. Goes on wet….why do all natural deodorants go on in a more “wet” form? I don’t understand it. The scent was probably the best part and the freshness was just mediocre I felt the need to reapply mid-day. Again, just mediocre…not amazing
Overall Score: 2.5
Buy it Here

Arbonne: This particular deodorant really excited me because I use a handful of other Arbonne products and love them. When I found out that Arbonne had a deodorant I made sure to add it to this list. Unfortunately, it wasn’t my favorite…but not the worst either. Unfortunately for me…the mint in it made my armpits sting. Especially after showers where I shaved my underarms. The stinging was so bad at one point that I had to use a wet towel to wipe it off. It also goes on wet, which isn’t a preference of mine as mentioned in other reviews with deodorants of this kind. Aside from the application piece being a bit harsh…the scent was my favorite of all the deodorants! Love love love the scent. Once on…this deodorant held up really well throughout the day…and the scent was long lasting! I did notice a little bit of wetness when working out with this deodorant but as far as casual work days in an office or moving around the house cleaning…it held up nicely.
Overall Score: 2
Buy it Here

Primal Pit Paste: To be quite honest. The name of this deodorant threw me for a loop I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. The name doesn’t set it up to be the most appealing…and the idea of putting “paste” in my pits…wasn’t something that excited me. However, I must say…this by far was one of my favorites. The only downer about this deodorant is that the application of it is a tad strange. You have to hold the deodorant stick in your arm pit for about…10 seconds to let it “warm up” then apply it. Warming it in your armpit allows it to “melt” and thus go on more smoothly. Trying to apply it before warming it… hurts, although I wouldn’t say that it is a deal breaker by any means. The scent of this deodorant was well worth a 5, it wasn’t exactly “floral” but it was “fresh” and it had a natural smell to it – which I liked. From 8:00 a.m. when I applied it until late in to the evening things were glorious. I had just a tad of wetness after working out and after running up two flights of stairs at work. But nothing that made me worried that I’d clear a room out due to odor. All-in-all the overall dryness throughout the day was impressive!
Overall Score: 5
Buy it Here

Arm & Hammer Unscented: Great deodorant and definitely another one of my favorites. I can’t say it was the number one pick but a close second or third. This deodorant goes on a little bit wet, but the wetness dries quickly, unlike some of the others that stayed wet longer than I would have liked. No fragrance…which was sort of a bummer. I felt fairly confident in this deodorant, no wetness throughout the day, which was wonderful. If you don’t mind the wet application – this brand is yours!
Overall Score: 4.5
Buy it Here

Queen Helene: This deodorant was OK. Not a favorite by any means but also not the worst. It goes on wet, but dries quickly. It has a really nice scent and left me feeling fresh all day. Again, the only major deal breaker was that it went on wet. It didn’t hold up the greatest after working out but as far as a casual day at work or going grocery shopping it did the trick.
Overall Score: 3
Buy it Here

Toms of Maine: I want to love this deodorant so much…because it is convenient and easy to pick up from Target, however, it really doesn’t hold up or hold a candle to any of the ones on the list. This by far was the worst of the bunch. So sad…so heartbroken. My favorite part was the application…it is a solid, so it goes on dry and not wet…which I liked!
What scent? There was the faintest scent to this deodorant. Which had me worried the moment I applied it. The freshness was non-existent…there was a moment at work I was worried my co-worker was going to pull me aside and let me know I was disrupting her ability to enjoy her lunch. I could smell myself…and worrying that others will smell you…is probably the worst! Sadly, the deodorant did not keep me dry for very long…I applied the deodorant around 8:00 a.m. and by noon I was wishing I had brought it to reapply.
Overall Score: 1
Buy it Here

Lavanila: Another favorite. This deodorant was wonderful and the scent was delicious, I got the pure vanilla scent but they have a handful of others. If it wasn’t creepy to lick ones armpit…it may happen while wearing this deodorant. That’s how good it is. Goes on smooth, no issues here. As mentioned above…the scent is good enough to eat! Kept me fresh all day long and then some and no wetness while wearing this deodorant. I must say it definitely can be considered my favorite of all of them. Hands down.
Overall Score: 5
Buy it Here

Crystal: Eh………need I say more? Application of this deodorant was awful and weird. You have to put the deodorant under water and then apply it to the underarms. Not the worst thing that could happen in life…but not the most convenient. I really felt like I was just putting water under my arms and it didn’t have a scent at all. As weird as the application was it kept me feeling fresh for most of the day. I  know I would never be able to love this deodorant…there are just better options out there!
Overall Score: 0
Buy it Here

Schmidt’s: This deodorant was a middle of the road favorite…it comes in a tub and has a small spatula…the directions say to use the spatula to remove the deodorant from the tub, take it in your fingers and warm it up your and then apply it with your fingers. It was by far the most messy deodorant application process. I love the scent almost as much as LaVanila…. but the damn application sucked…argh. It did however keep me fresh with no wetness, and I felt dry most of the day. The application process completely ruins this deodorant for me…I am going to search to see if it comes in stick form, if I find it, then the overall score will drastically improve.
Overall Score: 1
Buy it Here

Kiss My Face: While this deodorant wasn’t my favorite….it wasn’t the worst. This deodorant also goes on wet…but it would dry quickly, so not a deal breaker. The scent wasn’t exactly wonderful especially toward the end of the day. By mid-day I felt I needed to reapply. I can see this deodorant working for me during the winter months when the weather is more mild and I don’t have to worry about humidity and heat causing me to turn in to a sweaty pig. I’ll keep it in bathroom toiletry drawer until cooler temps come around this fall.
Overall Score: 2
Buy it Here

Final Verdict: 
My overall favorites were Primal Pit Paste and LaVanila! Which deodorants have you tried? Or which do you plan on trying after reading my reviews?